S/V\R

Sur Les Femmes I & II

S/V\R is the project of S. de la Moth of Menace Ruine and audio explorer/percussionist Chanoine V. The band’s earlier release entitledCelebration Noire, released through Handmade Birds, was excellent and now, after some time spent on meditation and soul searching the noise/industrial duo strikes back with their latest offering, Sur Les Femmes I & II. Split into two parts, the first being “Le Chaos” and the second “La Nuit,” S/V\R takes us on a trip through their rough soundscapes and minimalistic moments, as they dig deeper and deeper into abstract concepts and destructive synths.

The songs found in “Le Chaos” are exactly that…chaos. The dense sound and chaotic nature of “Vanites” takes you by surprise. The overwhelming, brick sonic walls awaken emotions of isolation and desperation while the sheer intensity increases the claustrophobic nature of the track. Soon enough “Desordre” comes in to cause, well…disorder. A sense of disorientation takes over the listener with S/V\R relentlessly hammering down on your ears, tempering with the borders of extremity. The speech sample on “Suspecte” gives you a brief break from all the pandemonium, but S/V\R soon resume their earlier form. Although, the sonic devastation of “Suspecte” is more forgiving, near the end it reaches new levels of brilliance, leaving you wondering if these guys even have souls. Finally “Le Chaos” is laid to rest with “Aneanti.” The weird intro is quite interesting and it gives way to devastating synth sounds (in this instance they sound almost like machine guns), which are building some completely abstract rhythmic patterns.

And so the analog chastening of “Le Chaos” is over and the scorching contrition of “La Nuit” is brought forth. S/V\R turns more towards their ambient side with the last four songs of the album. The minimalistic fashion with which “Contrition” is built is excellent while the noise influences are always present, hovering over the main theme of the song, preparing for a sonic assault that does not come. Instead of chaos and destruction, a ritualistic and mystical quality is rising. A very interesting change with “Desoeuvrement,” with S/V\R approaching their dense sonic walls from a different perspective, keeping them at bay instead of letting them loose upon your ears. The duo continues their unique journey, with the nauseating attribute of “Mortifee” disorienting the listener and sending the subconscious mind into a state of utter despair. The sudden explosions in the track offer the necessary release of energy, giving them an almost cathartic quality. “La Nuit” is concluded with “Blesse”, the longest track of the album. The minimalistic tone resumes and S/V\R are building up the track slowly, using the repetitive patterns in their advantage. On top of that repetition they unfold their full potential, further exploring the song and bringing in more elements to enrich its texture.

S/V\R are definitely not an easy band to get into. Their sound is sonically as extreme as it can get. But in both “Le Chaos” and “La Nuit” you will find that S/V\R are building imposing sonic constructs of unreal ruin and beauty.